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The best and most obvious way to stop bullying in schools is for parents to change the way

they parent their children at home. Of course, this is much easier said than done and

everyone parents their children differently. Bullies, however, come from homes where

physical punishment is used and children have been taught that physical violence is the

way to handle problems and get their way.

Bullies usually also come from homes where the parents fight a lot, so violence has been

modeled for them. Parental involvement often is lacking in bullies lives and there seems to

be little warmth.

!arly intervention and effective discipline and boundaries truly is the best way to stop

bullying, but parents of the victims or therapists cannot change the bullys home

environment. "ome things can be done at the school level, however.

#. $ost school programs that address bullying use a multi%faceted approach to the

problem. This usually involves counseling of some sort, either by peers, a schoolcounselor, teachers, or the principal.

&. 'and out (uestionnaires to all students and teachers and discuss if bullying is

occurring. )efine e*actly what constitutes bullying at school. The (uestionnaire is a

wonderful tool that allows the school to see how widespread bullying is and what

forms it is taking. +t is a good way to start to address the problem.

. -et the childrens parents involved in a bullying program. +f parents of the bullies

and the victims are not aware of what is going on at school, then the whole bullying

program will not be effective. "topping bullying in school takes teamwork and

concentrated effort on everyones part. Bullying also should be discussed during

parent%teacher conferences and PT meetings. Parental awareness is key.

/. +n the classroom setting, all teachers should work with the students on bullying.Oftentimes even the teacher is being bullied in the classroom and a program should

be set up that implements teaching about bullying. 0hildren understand modeling

behaviors and role%play and acting out bullying situations is a very effective tool.

'ave students role%play a bullying situation.

1ules that involve bullying behaviors should be clearly posted. "chools also could

ask local mental health professionals to speak to students about bullying behaviors

and how it directly affects the victims.

2. "chools need to make sure there is enough adult supervision at school to lessen and

prevent bullying.

child who has to endure bullying usually suffers from low self%esteem and their ability to

learn and be successful at school is dramatically lessened. "chools and parents must

educate children about bullying behaviors3 it will help all children feel safe and secure at

school. 0hildren who bully need to be taught empathy for others feelings in order to

change their behaviors and the school must adopt a 4ero%tolerance policy regarding

bullying.

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11 Ways You Can Help to Stop Bullying

1) Learn about the issue

$edia attention on bullying and cyberbullying is increasing rapidly. The more informed

and better educated you are, the more effective you can be in impacting the problem. You

can find links to articles on bullying preventionon our websiteor do a -oogle search

of terms like bullying, cyberbullying, etc.

) Walk the talk

0hildren learn many social cues from adults, parents5caregivers, and their peers. By

modeling empathy, tolerance and respect in your actions and communication, you impart

these values, and influence the attitudes and behaviors of your children.

!) "alk with your children

Often, if children are involved in bullying as either targets or aggressors, they are reluctant

to talk about it. sk your children about their social e*perience at school, especially if they

seem withdrawn or are e*hibiting unusual changes in their mood or behavior.

#) $onitor your child online

0yberbullying is the fastest growing type of peer%on%peer mistreatment today. +t is

important for parents to be able to monitor their childrens use of 6acebook, $y"pace and

other social media sites, both at home and on mobile devices.

%) &nderstand your school's policies

1ules, procedures and policies regarding bullying vary greatly from district to district.

$any states have enacted anti%bullying legislation, but implementation at the school site

may be lacking. "peak with school officials and your school board about what policies they

have in place and what programs they have implemented to address bullying and

cyberbullying.

() dentify and build alliances in your co**unity

7ocal service clubs, PTs, local government and businesses can be a source of support andfunding for bullying and cyberbullying prevention programs like "afe "chool

mbassadors. 8orking with the various stakeholders in your community is an effective

way to build a coalition and create safer school climates.

http://community-matters.org/news-and-mediahttp://community-matters.org/news-and-media

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+) ,dvocate for safer schools

8rite a letter to the editor of your local paper, attend or 9oin your local PT or school

board, or start a community group dedicated to addressing bullying and cyberbullying at

your local schools.

-) .oin our /Waking &p Courage0 Co**unity nline

.oin us on 2acebookand follow us on "witter3!very week we share tools, inspiration

and the latest news on waking up courage and the anti%bullying movement.

4) Sponsor a workshop

Co**unity $atters offers 5arent Workshopsthat provide parents and guardians with

an understanding of what bullying is today, the social, emotional and financial costs to

students, parents and schools, and communication tips to effectively support children andteens.

16) Sponsor Safe School ,*bassadors7 8SS,) at a school

$any schools have the desire to provide proven effective school climate improvement

programs like "afe "chool mbassadors:, but lack the funding to implement them. By

sponsoring "" at your local school or alma mater, you can create positive change by

reducing bullying and cyberbullying, creating a climate of safety, inclusiveness and

respect. Click hereto learn how Spencer Sher*an sponsored the SS, progra* at his

al*a *ater9 Bayside High School in :ew York;

11) Support Co**unity $atters financially

0ommunity $atters welcomes donations of any amount to help provide its programs and

services to schools in need.

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8hile many parents may assume that bullying in schools is a problem that occurs in

middle or high school, the fact is that schools and parents should take steps to prevent and

stop bullying in schools as early as kindergarten and early elementary school. By teachingchildren about what bullying is and the facts about how and why it is harmful, teachers and

parents can set important foundations to stop bullying behavior before it starts.

What is Bullying>

Bullyingis defined as aggressive behavior that is intentional. +t can be physical ;such as

pushing or hitting< or verbal ;such as hurting someone with insults or malicious gossip

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victims when teachers or other adults arent looking